Fatal Verdict doesn't quite hit the heights of the first in the series - mainly because the plot feels very similar. Chicago lawyer Dean Lincoln in still in his South Carolina home town. He and his mentor are defending another murder charge where everyone in town knows the accused is guilty. And the locals are still unhappy with his big city ways.

This isn't a bad novel, and there is tension in the courthouse scenes. But there had to be more of a progression from book one to book two.

I thoroughly enjoyed the second book in this series. Once again, the author masterfully captures the atmosphere of South Carolina—the charm, the slow Southern pace, and the tension that lurks just beneath the surface.
The storyline is full of small-town secrets, dangerous liaisons, and hidden lives. Dean Lincoln, the big-city lawyer turned Southern defender, gets pulled into a complicated case involving Haley Finch, accused of murdering her wealthy, older boyfriend just after he changed his will in her favor.
The book kept me guessing and fully immersed in the unfolding drama, with its mix of suspense, mystery, and the quiet menace of a town that guards its secrets well.

I’m already looking forward to reading the next in the series!

Excellent twisty storyline.
Keeps you guessing right to the end.
Thoroughly enjoyable.
Thanks for the opportunity to read and review

Sammy is not the brightest individual in any room, but a stroke of luck makes him an instant five times millionaire. He cannot believe his luck. Friends who had seemed to write him off years ago are suddenly back wanting to spend time with him.

Sammy rewrites his will and five days later is discovered dead. His most recent fling is now a suspect, but his brother Ken is brought in for questioning. Ken swears that he had nothing to do with the killing but that the money rightfully belongs to him. Adding insult to injury, Sammy paid off some of Ken’s debts; but would not give Ken any money!

Haley is a beautiful and vivacious thirty-something who discovered Sammy’s fortune and immediately latched on to him. The new will leaves all of the money to Haley. Ken is livid and threatens Haley feeling the money was his rightful inheritance! He has a solid alibi.

This story features a prosecuting attorney who has been hired to defend Haley. He puts together a great defense team and the climax is very entertaining. Enjoy! 4.5 stars – CE Williams

I downloaded the first book in this series for my pick for Amazon First Reads. I read that one pretty quickly, so I jumped into this one a couple days later.
I was a bit disappointed with this one. While the story itself was good. (If I'm being honest, I only finished it because I wanted to know how it turned out.) The writing in this book was not so great. This book felt like a copy and paste of the first book with different character names. There were whole parts of the book that were word for word the exact same as in the first book. And not just once or twice, but a handful of times. That's poor writing and poor editing. This book followed the exact same blueprint from start to finish as the previous book. I want some variety. Show me you are a creative person and give me something different with each book.
Aside from the things I disliked, I enjoyed the story. I admit I wasn't positive on the whodunit. But by the middle, I had it figured out. But I was still pleased once I got to the end.

I enjoyed the first book in this series so I was keen to read this one and it didn't disappoint. There are twists and turns, characters to like and dislike and the main character has lots of personal issues to deal with while he's fighting for his client. If you're a fan of courtroom dramas, you'll enjoy this book.

As someone who loves a good legal thriller, Fatal Verdict totally hit the mark for me. It’s the second book in the Dean Lincoln series, but you can jump into it without having read the first (which I hadn’t), and still follow along just fine.

The story is set in this small, coastal town in South Carolina, where a young woman named Haley Finch is accused of murdering her older, super-wealthy boyfriend. Of course, there’s more to the story than meets the eye—and Dean Lincoln, a defense attorney with a bit of a mysterious past himself, is determined to get to the bottom of it.

What I really enjoyed:

The Southern setting was moody and atmospheric, especially with the storm brewing throughout the book. It added such a cool tension to the whole story.

Dean Lincoln is a great lead. He’s smart, a little jaded, and has this quiet charisma that makes you root for him.

There are so many twists! Just when I thought I knew what was going on, the rug got pulled out from under me in the best way.

That said, I did find some of the legal scenes a bit heavy. I know they’re realistic, and I actually learned a lot, but a couple of parts dragged a little for me. Also, while I liked the characters, I would’ve loved to get more from some of the supporting ones—especially Haley. I wanted more insight into what she was feeling.

Overall though, I flew through this book. It kept me guessing, and I genuinely didn’t know how it was going to end until the last few chapters. I’ll definitely be picking up more from this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This legal thriller will captivate your attention from the moment you start the book. This legal thriller has you on your toes the moment you begin the book until the end. I highly recommend this book!

This is the 2nd book in the Dean Lincoln series and what a read.

Dean is a defence lawyer who moved back to his home town for 12 months so that his wife can care for her sick Mom. Dean is back working for his former boss and mentor and Dean is representing a lady for killing her rich boyfriend. But her first husband has not been seen for 2 years, although she claims to have received emails from him.

This book is a page turner, and my goodness, be prepared for a jaw-dropping moment, you wont see it coming.

Thanks for the advance read.

Stayed up late to Read this in a night, I really enjoyed this book. I would read more books by this author

Small town secrets. Dangerous liaisons. Hidden lives. Lawyer Dean Lincoln must risk everything to find the truth! Great read! This book had chilling suspense, murder, mystery, intriguing, great characters, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Peter O'Mahoney's Fatal Verdict is a masterclass in suspense, a legal thriller that grips you from the opening gavel and refuses to release its hold until the final, shocking revelation. The true brilliance of this novel lies in its intricately woven plot, a labyrinth of possibilities and red herrings that keeps the reader perpetually off-balance and second-guessing their every assumption.